Nestled just off Earlsfield’s main drag lies a new dawn of co-living spaces, Folk by Sunday Mills. This is a brand on a mission to set a new standard for rental living, with sleek design, thoughtful communal spaces and great value for money.
After the success of their first Harrow space, Earlsfield opened at the end of last year, just a six minute walk from the station and home to studio apartments and shared spaces, including a massive co-working hub, fully fitted gym and a rooftop with 360º panoramic views of London’s skyline.
The space has been designed around the brand’s key pillars of ‘community and connection’, with the shared spaces aimed at encouraging social interaction. It’s brilliantly designed; the main lobby is elegant and spacious, all sleek minimal wood and plants. Upstairs apartments are kitted out with the basics to welcome new renters, ready for you to bring your own home comforts. Trying it out for an evening, we were wowed by the supremely comfy bed and homely decor; despite being a rental, it feels instantly homely.
We loved the well-planned shared spaces, with thought going into ensuring there are individual areas for getting your head down along with larger dining style tables and armchairs round coffee tables for meetings and co-working with varying levels of formality. The Living Room is a particular favourite, with its cane furniture and welcoming beanbag chairs definitely a hit. Each studio comes with a kitchenette complete with kettle and microwave, but there’s also a beautifully minimalist main shared kitchen for residents to cook in.
The whole concept has been designed very much with community in mind - each month residents can enjoy a programme of activities from yoga classes and workshops on cryptocurrency, to cocktail masterclasses - it’s kind of like a fun halls of residence for grown ups, without the dodgy weird roommate getting wastes on Smirnoff Ice and puking in the kitchen bin…
Another appealing factor has to be the cost. Starting at £1,599 a month including all bills, utilities, an in built gym, and activities and classes, it’s certainly tempting given the cost of a one bed in London at the moment, not to mention the fact that solo living can be somewhat lonely. There are 315 studios in the Earlsfield space, so you won’t be short on neighbours. Folk has also carefully considered its offering at Sunday Mills by ensuring that 35% of the Studios are reserved as affordable housing, with studios starting from just £182 a week for renters who most need them.
What’s more, Sunday Mills ticks some serious sustainability goals; the building is powered on 100% renewable energy and Folk donates 1% of the net operating profit of the building back to local charities and community organisations. Folk is also installing beehives on a small island in the River Wandle, which runs next to the building, and will produce its own honey whilst offering residents the chance to learn bee keeping with free courses.
As far as co-living spaces go, this one certainly has something going for it. With the rising cost of renting in the capital, not the mention the difficulties renters face with rose landlords and sub-par properties, could this be the answer to many a problem? Stay tuned for a third Battersea site opening soon.
